Indicating device



Jan. 27, 1970 I C ET'A L 3,491,717

INDICATING DEVICE Filed July 26, 1985 INVENTORS. JAMES D. VINCENT CHARLES AVH'TORIO United States Patent 3,491,717 INDICATING DEVICE James D. Vincent and Charles A. Vittorio, Freeport, Ill., assignors to Honeywell Inc., Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 26, 1965, Ser. No. 474,682 Int. Cl. G09f 9/00 US. Cl. 116-135 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An indicator for selective association with a panel mounted, actuator driven control device wherein the indicator is mounted to the panel by an adhesive therebetween. The indicator includes a housing having an opening to allow acceptance of the actuator so that upon movement thereof the indicating mechanism of the indicator is positioned by the actuator to display the condition thereof.

The present invention is directed to an indicating device which is arranged to be associated with and actuated by a separate panel mounted control or controlled device, the indicating device being fastened to the panel by means of an adhesive therebetween.

As disclosed in the preferred embodiment herein, the present invention involves an indicating device which is completely self-contained insofar as the actuating means, signal means, and mounting means thereof are concerned and which can be associated with a panel mounted control or controlled device such as a toggle switch so that actuation of the toggle switch results in actuation of the actuating means and signal means of the indicating device to provide an appropriate signal to be displayed by the indicating device. The indicating device while associated with the toggle switch and fastened to the panel by means of an adhesive therebetween is not in any way fastened to the toggle switch. In fact, the indicating device can be associated with the toggle switch when the toggle switch is initially mounted to the panel or at any later time without interfering with the mounting means of the toggle switch. It will be appreciated that with such a modular approach costs can be minimized both as to inventory required to take care of various applications (that is, those requiring indication and those that do not) and also as to replacement in applications involving both the toggle switch and indicating device as only the faulty device need be replaced and not both of them. Also, since the indicating device is fastened to the mounting panel by an adhesive therebetween, conventional mechanical fasteners are not required nor are the special processes (drilling, tapping, etc.) and/ or the tools they involve.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a panel mounted indicating device for association with and actuation by a panel mounted control or controlled device wherein the indicating device and the control or controlled device are physically separate one from the other as is the mounting thereof.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an arrangement as above described wherein the mounting of the indicating device does not require conventional mechanical fasteners but rather is accomplished by means of an adhesive provided between the indicating device and the panel.

These and other objects will become apparent from a reading of the following specification and appended claims wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side assembly view of the indicating device of the present invention associated with a toggle switch, both mounted to a panel;

Patented Jan. 27, 1970 ice FIGURE 2 is a front assembly view of the arrangement of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective view of the elements of the indicating device; and

FIGURE 4 is a back view of the indicating device.

In FIGURE 1, a center off, three maintained position toggle switch 10 having an actuating lever 11 arranged to move upwardly and downwardly as viewed in FIGURE 1 and a bushing 12 is bushing mounted to a panel 14 by means of a pair of mounting nuts 16 and 17, one each disposed on either side of the panel. While a particular type of toggle switch has been identified, it will become apparent that other type toggle switches would be satisfactory. Further, it will become apparent that the present invention could be utilized with other type control and controlled devices. An indicating device 20 having a base portion 22 and a cover portion 24, both of which can be formed of a plastic material, is associated with the toggle switch 10, the actuating lever 11 thereof passing through openings 22a and 22b of the base portion 22 and opening 24a of the cover portion 24 and therebeyond and is fastened to the panel 14 as will be further described below. The indicating device 20 associated with the :panel 14 and with only the actuating lever 11 of the toggle switch 10 being visible in the opening 24a of the cover portion 24 is shown in FIGURE 2. The cover portion 24 includes a pair of openings or windows 24b through which signal means can be viewed dependent upon the condition of the toggle switch 10 as will become more apparent below. Legending can be provided on the cover portion 24 in a conventional manner and as disclosed herein takes the form of pieces of tape being cemented to the cover portion which tape carries appropriate legends.

The indicating device 20 is formed of a relatively small number of elements as is apparent from an examination of FIGURE 3. These elements comprise actuating means, signal means, and mounting means in addition to the base portion 22 and the cover portion 24 previously identified. The actuating means and the signal means in the preferred embodiment are dual in nature and one set each are disposed at opposite lengthwise extremities of the base portion 22. This allows for movement of one set each upon movement of the actuating lever 11 of the toggle switch 10 approaching one extreme position and movement of the other set each upon movement approaching the opposite extreme position.

The base portion 22 includes the openings 22a and 22b as previously mentioned, opening 22a accommodating the mounting nut 17 of the toggle switch 10 and both openings accommodating the actuating lever 11 of the toggle switch as was also previously mentioned.

The actuating means includes a first lever 30 which is arranged to be mounted on a journal 22c of the base portion 22 and which has a tongue 30a for accepting one extremity of a coil spring 32, the other extremity of which is arranged to be disposed in a cutout 22d in the base portion 22. The coil spring 32 biases the lever 30 toward the respective lengthwise extremity of the base portion 22. A torsion spring 33 is arranged to be disposed on journal 222 with extremity 33a arranged to be disposed in channel 22] in the base portion 22. A second lever 34 is arranged to be disposed on the journal 22c and over the torsion spring 33. The journal 22s with the torsion spring 33 and lever 34 in place is crimped over as at 22g to maintain the forementioned elements in place but not crimped to such an extent so as to limit pivotal movement of the lever 34. With the torsion spring 33 and the lever 34 in place on the journal 22c, extremity 33b of the spring is associated with a protrusion 34d provided on the lever 34 so that the lever 34 is biased toward the openings 22a and 22b. It will be noted that ear 34a of the lever 34 engages protrusion b of the lever 30. Since the bias provided by torsion spring 33 is greater than that of the coil spring 32, the levers 30 and 34 are then not actuated in the position shown in the lower part of the base portion 22.

The signal means take the form of flags which can be color coded, for example, to indicate different conditions and include pins 36a which are arranged to be disposed through clearance opening 34b of the lever 34 and to be accepted by support opening 300 of the lever 30. For purposes of clarity, the signal means are not shown in an assembled condition with respect to p the actuating means. However, when assembled, each flag overlies the actuating means and surface 22h of the base portion 22. Further, the flag 36 is of such a length as to be guided for reciprocal movement with respect to the lengthwise dimension of the base portion 22 by the inside long side walls of the cover portion 24d.

With the toggle switch 10 in the condition shown in FIGURE 1, the flags 36 are disposed between the opening 24a and window 24b and hence are not visible. Movement of the actuating lever 11 of the toggle switch 10 from the position shown in FIGURE 1 either upwardly or downwardly results in engagement thereof with appropriate finger 340 of the lever 34 and in pivotal movement of the lever 34 against the bias of the torsion spring 33 and also in movement of the lever 30 brought about by the bias of the spring 32 coupled with the movement of ear 34a of the lever 34. Movement of both levers is toward the appropriate lengthwise extremity of the base portion 22. Since the lever 30 carries the flag 36, movement of this lever results in movement of the flag into the appropriate window 24b giving an indication of the condition of the toggle switch 10. Subsequently, upon the actuating lever 11 of the toggle switch 10 being moved toward the position shown in FIGURE 1, the bias provided by the torsion spring 33 causes movement of the lever 34 toward the openings 22a, 22b, and 24a and this in turn causes movement of lever 30 in the same direction because of the drive between ear 34a and the protrusion 30b. Of course the flag 36 is removed from the window 24b thereby reflecting the current condition of the toggle switch 10.

The base portion 22 and the cover portion 24 are arranged to be snap fastened together, protrusions 24c, one of which is shown, of the cover portion 24 being provided for association with cutouts 22j of the base por-. tion 22. Upper surface portion 22k of the base portion 22 cooperates with the inner top surface 24 of the cover portion 24 to position the base portion with respect to the cover portion.

A pair of pads 40 are fastened to the bottom surface 22m of the base portion 22 by means of an adhesive,

for example. The pads 40 are also provided with adhesive on the opposite surface, which adhesive can be protected until intended for use by means of a paper overlay not shown. The indicating device 20 with the base portion 22 and the cover portion 24 assembled and with the pads 40 in place is shown in FIGURE 4.

Returning to FIGURE 1, it will be obvious that the toggle switch 10 can be mounted to the panel 14 and at that time or any later time the indicating device 20 can be associated therewith merely by passing the indicating device 20 and particularly the openings 22a, and 22b, and 24a thereof over the actuating lever 11 of the toggle switch 10 and having the adhesive on the pads 40 engage the panel so as to secure the indicating device thereto. Similarly, should either the toggle switch 10 or the indicating device 20 need to be replaced, the indicating device can be forced from the panei 14 by overcoming the adhesion therebetween and the necessary replacement can be accomplished.

A panel mounted indicating device has been disclosed herein which is modular in concept and which can be easily associated with a panel mounted control or controlled device without the need of conventional fasteners and the process and/or the tools they require.

What is claimed is:

1, An indicator for association with a toggle switch supported from a panel, comprising: a housing including a centrally disposed opening to allow passage therethrough and therebeyond of the actuating lever of the toggle switch; a pair of independent lever systems supported within said housing and disposed to either side of said opening so as to be positionable by the actuating lever of the toggle switch; signal means positionable by each of said lever systems with respect to window openings provided in the front of said housing dependent upon the position of said lever systems; and adhesive means provided on the back surface of said housing to allow fastening said housing to the panel and with respect to the toggie switch.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,029,303 4/1962 Severino 248205 FOREIGN PATENTS 774,145 5/1957 Great Britain.

LOUIS R. PRINCE, Primary Examiner I. W. ROSKOS, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 248-205 

